Category: U2 (Page 6 of 8)

Eze, France — 2004

The U2 song “Electrical Storm” debuted in 2002 with perhaps the sexiest video the band has ever made. Directed by acclaimed photographer Anton Corbijn (who is now also a film director), the story consisted of their handsome drummer, Larry Mullen Jr., rescuing a mermaid from the sea and falling in love with her. The mermaid was portrayed by Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Morton.

You can view the steamy video here.

Because I’ve had a crush on the drummer since I was a kid, and due to my love of the song, I watched this video countless times that year, and made it a goal to visit the actual beach in the South of France where it was filmed.

When my friend Teresa and I planned our European getaway, it was decided we would end our trip with a day on this beach in the village of Eze, visiting the locations of the video and lounging around near the water.

Armed with my iPod (so I could play the song while I was there) and a silver swimsuit to match the mermaid’s attire, we entered the rocky heaven at one of the hottest points in the afternoon. Dipping my feet in the ice-cold water felt spectacular, but it was such a shock to my system I decided not to go completely underwater.

I didn’t yet own a digital camera, so I brought a high-quality old-school camera with me and loaded it with a roll of black and white film. I wanted all of the pictures I took on that beach to mirror the real video.

After Teresa took a few shots (me at the train station sign; me in the water), we both laid out on our towels (wishing we had brought chairs because the rocks were so hard) and listened to our headphones until we got too hot.

We ate lunch across the street, then visited the church where U2 guitarist The Edge married his second wife. Last, we toured the gorgeous Exotic Garden at the top of the town.

We finished the evening with a lovely pizza dinner at a nearby restaurant and watched a bride and groom descend down the path as donkeys led their wedding party out of the church. A gorgeous site, for sure.

Our vacation was coming to an end and we thought the drama was behind us. Boy, were we wrong.

Halloween, 2002

In 2002, U2 released the song “Electrical Storm,” which was accompanied by this steamy video. Favoring the drummer for years (who is the romantic lead in this one), I was immediately smitten and fantasizing about becoming the band’s “tour mermaid,” the next time they took to the road.

The entire history is detailed here in an essay I wrote for @U2 back in 2007.

But for the purposes of this story, I wasn’t just any old mermaid, I was the U2 mermaid, and my friend Teresa was her own interpretation of Bono’s stage character, The Fly.

We rocked.

How they helped me heal.

The time of the U2 Elevation tour in 2001 was phenomenal in many ways—the band was enjoying immense success with their latest album All That You Can’t Leave Behind, and Bono was rapidly emerging as a global humanitarian.

By August, I’d already seen them in Seattle and Ireland, but I wanted to see a show with my sister, so I booked a flight to Boston so she and I could take a road trip to Providence and attend a fall show.

As the date grew near, everyone around me thought I was nuts not to cancel my trip. September 11 happened just over a month prior and no one was anxious to get in the sky. I had the attitude that I wasn’t going to let fundamentalists from other countries stop me from living my life. Plus, we already had the much-coveted fan club tickets, which would grant us general admission access. No way was I giving that up.

The week before the trip at work was hectic. Holiday advertising deadlines always happen near Halloween, so I was down to the wire on several assignments, plus I was fighting to finish my first screenplay submission for Project Greenlight. In addition, the night before my journey, I decided that I needed to make U2’s drummer, Larry Mullen, Jr. a ‘Happy Birthday’ poster since his 40th birthday was the day after our show. I had the bright idea of making it glow-in-the dark so it would show up at night in the arena, but I didn’t have any supplies, so I made an evening trip to Seattle’s Display and Costume party store. Huge mistake. The week before Halloween at that store is like war zone and the crowds were insane. It took me over an hour to buy one small poster board and a small set of glowing paints.

Couple all of that with the excitement of seeing my sister and going to a U2 show, and I wasn’t eating much. Or sleeping much.

By the time I boarded my flight on the 27th, I was sneezing and feeling a sore throat coming on. It was especially hard for me because I personally can’t stand folks who expose others to sickness, and I didn’t want to be that person.

When I arrived at my sister’s, I had a slight fever and drank Thera Flu in hopes I could sleep off whatever was trying to get me. The next morning, I wasn’t much better, but I refused to stay home. We took a fall foliage drive and visited some witch sites in Danvers, then it was back home to rest up.

The next evening we got to our hotel in the late evening, prepared to camp outside the venue to earn the best spot inside the heart-shaped stage (U2 fans have a very strict self-policing process of numbering everyone in the order they arrive and staying in that order when the venue opens). After leaving our belongings in our hotel room, we went across the street to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center to scope out the line. We went to the main entrance, then the side entrance and no one was there.

Thinking the line just hadn’t formed yet, we retreated back to our cozy room and watched U2 perform on Late Night with David Letterman. Soon, we both drifted off to sleep and didn’t rise until the sun came up.

I wasn’t feeling 100%, but the sleep did me well. I thought that getting some healthy food into my system might help, so we went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast.

Just as I was taking my first bite of hash browns, I saw my sister’s eyes get larger as she looked out the window behind me. “Uh-oh,” she said. “I think we should have gone all the way around the building last night.”

What she was seeing were folks carrying their bags and belongings to their spot in line—underneath the venue near the parking garage where fans had begun gathering several hours before. We wouldn’t have heard them or seen them the previous night during our stroll because of the way the building was configured.

The poor hotel staff must have thought we hated their food. We jumped up as fast as we could, paid the bill and sprinted to our room to get our cameras and coats, then headed down to the line. We ended up as #149 and #150, respectively. Thankfully, we weren’t late enough to miss getting into the heart, but we were still farther back than we’d hoped.

I spent the whole day annoying my sister because I refused to put a hat on (didn’t want to mess up the curls I had) and trying to ‘charge’ my poster for Larry in the limited sunlight. I also ate an entire bag of Ricola cough drops to suppress the throat pain, which was only getting worse.

The crowd was jovial—many were in costume because Halloween was the next day. The band was in fine form, arriving on stage with the house lights still on (I wish they still did that) and balancing their commemoration of the recent terrorist attacks with their usual rousing rock numbers.

By the end of the show, I didn’t feel sick anymore. U2 had healing powers over me, for sure.

Drinking at The Kitchen

When U2 were just getting started, rehearsals were held in Larry Mullen Jr.’s childhood kitchen. Hence, why they named their nightclub, “The Kitchen” when Bono and The Edge bought part of The Clarence Hotel.

I, along with a friend I made on the trip (Leslie from Wisconsin), was determined to hang out in this magical club at least once in our lifetime, so that’s where we went on our last night in Dublin.

We dressed up a bit, stood in a long line with the the rest of the U2 fans and headed downstairs where we’d been told some of the Red Hot Chili Peppers had been hanging out.

The vibe was fun, the ceiling architecture looked like Swiss cheese and the bartender was oh so Irish, and cute.

I sauntered right up past some men who were waiting and got my drink order in—a Jameson and Coke—which cutie bartender seemed impressed by.

Leslie and I found a small table, chatting and people-watching as we enjoyed our drinks, but the music left something to be desired (it was more techno than U2). Nonetheless, we were still glad we went.

The Kitchen soon closed down, but in recent years re-opened. I hope this version of it lasts until I can go back to Ireland and check it out once more.

My Battle Scar

The hours at the castle went a lot faster once the opening acts began.

There was Kelis, whose “Milkshake” brought all the boys in the yard; Relish, who was just okay; and JJ72, who just made noise.

As Coldplay was taking the stage, my prayers were answered and I was granted a coveted wristband. The gentleman who gave it to me told me to protect my wrist with my other hand so no one could rip it off as I made my way to the Heart. This was no easy feat.

With sweat dripping, I ran to a spot on The Edge’s side, threw my jacket down and sat on the ground, facing the crowd.

Why not face Coldplay?

1) I needed to see what I was up against once darkness fell.
2) Chris Martin isn’t exactly attractive, anyway.

It was then that it really hit me—I was up against the railing in a crowd of 80,000 people. One rush of the stage and I would likely lose my life.

At age 25, when this show occurred, I was still very petite. And though I took random dance classes (Hip-Hop and Riverdance, for example), and walked two miles to my bus stop every day, I still wasn’t very strong.

I tried to put that out of my mind as the Red Hot Chili Peppers took the stage. I’d liked them for years, but never seen them live, so this was a great initiation.

By then the sun was absolutely blazing down on us and my black tank top was absorbing heat at a record rate. The crowd was also closing in, knowing that the Peppers were the last act before U2 would take the stage. I felt like I could faint from the heat, the lack of food and water, and the excitement.

Those of us keeping an eye on the sides of the stage were treated to Iggy Pop and Woody Harrelson peeking out to wave hello, and various familiar U2 crew faces could also be seen.

My legs were numb by the time U2 actually did come on, but the opener of “Elevation” (where all of us in the audience ‘pogo’ in time with Bono) had me jumping along with everyone.

I had one hand on my disposable camera and another on the pouch around my neck that contained my ID. I would only change up this position when I needed to grab the railing and brace myself to stop from getting crushed.

The rest of the night was surreal. It was almost like the heavens turned off the lights on cue after Bono sang the last notes of “Beautiful Day.” Once it got dark, the music got more magical and the crowd got more dangerous.

The security team would periodically hose us down. I was grateful for those moments because they kept the rowdies back, and I got a drink. Standing for 13 hours after having a light breakfast, being rained on, then blistering in the sun doesn’t make for the best physical condition. But hey, I was young—and this was my first European rock concert.

I had many spine-tingling sparks of happiness throughout the set, but little can compare to hearing “Sunday Bloody Sunday” performed on hallowed Irish ground.

The crowd understandably went nuts and the good couldn’t be separated from the bad. When the drunks began shoving, things got out of control and I got smashed up against the railing. The people next to me said they heard the crack of my rib; I remember having the wind knocked out of me, blacking out and being revived by the security guards who were trying to lift me out. I quickly responded that I had more film left on my camera and I didn’t want to be carried out.

“Bloody Americans,” they said.

I had trouble breathing from there on out, but somehow I managed to last the rest of the show. The crowd got better too, and I was given more space after folks realized I was injured.

Once the show ended (with a beautiful fireworks display set to “The Unforgettable Fire”, in honor of the album they recorded inside that same castle), I got taped up by the first aid folks and missed my shuttle back to Dublin.

I had to walk the Irish countryside for at least an hour until I found another group that would take pity on me and give me a ride back to the city. After all, I’d spent my money on a T-shirt and had no other way back.

When I finally arrived at my hotel, I was so exhausted I’m not sure I even took all my clothes off to shower. I just knew that I felt too gross to sleep without getting some soap involved.

I collapsed into bed with a completely wet head and slept the most sound sleep I think I’ve ever slept. My body had shut down.

Sweet euphoria.

Part One

The morning of the show was hectic.

I’d been up most of the night watching U2 documentaries on local television stations, so I was low on energy and had a light breakfast of only toast and coffee. I was simply too excited to eat. Plus, I knew I’d be standing in a field for hours with only Honey Buckets for bathrooms and didn’t really want to use them unless I had to.

We boarded the shuttle at what seemed like the crack of dawn and arrived in County Meath to rain showers. The castle didn’t look quite so majestic with a muddy field and dark skies, but I was still in awe of its history.

We lined up outside the fence and got sufficiently rained on until they opened the gates and we all began sprinting down the field. It was horribly dangerous, especially because it was so wet, so the security team quickly slowed us down. Trouble was, my group wasn’t anywhere near the heart (that was the shape of the U2 stage on that tour, and the most coveted spot to watch the show from) and the wristbands were going fast.

Becky (the girl I’d met on the first day) and I tried to hold hands so we wouldn’t be separated, but the crowd got the best of us and we were pulled apart. That was the last I saw of her, and anyone else from my group, for the duration of our time in Slane.

Because the food I’d packed (a granola bar, a banana, bottled water) had been confiscated at the gate, I didn’t have a whole lot to carry (a blessing in disguise), but I also didn’t have a whole lot to do. I took one “break” from standing in the clump awaiting wristbands and went and bought a commemorative Slane T-shirt. After that purchase, I had about 2 pounds (they hadn’t yet switched to the Euro back then) on me. But what would I need money for, right?

The good news was that the sun was beginning to shine, so I was able to put my windbreaker around my waist and dry off in my sparkly black tank top that simply read “Sagittarius” in big, blue Bedazzled letters.

If nothing else, I’d get a good tan waiting for the music to start.

My First Graffiti

Windmill Lane Studios began in 1978 as a place for traditional Irish musicians to work, but a few years later that all changed when producer Steve Lillywhite brought U2 in to record their first album, Boy.

The band liked the space and recorded their next two albums, October and War, there too. Throughout the years more big names, such as INXS and Elvis Costello, also created masterpieces at Windmill Lane, but U2 fans sort of claimed the outside of the building as their own and created a graffiti tribute to the band.

There’s nothing like walking up to a landmark and being handed a can of spray paint by a cheerful Irishman, then being told to “go nuts,” which is exactly what happened to me on that blustery August day in 2001.

In the photo above, I’m shown with my contribution, “I (heart) LM” in honor of drummer Larry Mullen, Jr.—I’m not remotely artistic, so I thought it better to write my sentiment, but some of my friends on the U2 tour drew pictures that were quite impressive.

Sadly, the studio has since moved, and the buildings here are simply boarded up. There was talk of turning the space into office complexes a few years ago, but that was met with much resistance from the locals.

Hopefully it will remain a musical relic so more fans can spray their appreciation on the wall as well.

Museum Tour

My first full day in Dublin on this trip began at the Hot Press Irish Music Hall of Fame.

Laced with more U2 goodies than I’d ever seen in my life, the building housed everything from handwritten lyrics to a wax version of Bono. I was in gawker heaven.

Furthermore, unlike many other museums, we could take pictures of whatever we wanted, so I happily snapped away on my disposable Fuji camera until I realized we had two more stops that day.

It was a great place to visit during a concert week because the U2 energy was incredibly high across the board. Each one of us on the tour purchased a Hot Press magazine on the way out and none of us could wait to read it, so the bus was very quiet en route to our next destination.

First Night

What I should have done was sleep off my travel exhaustion, but instead I laid down on my hotel bed for about 20 minutes, got up, brushed my hair and met up with my group for a literary pub crawl.

We apparently crawled to some places that U2 had visited, but after my third or fourth Jameson and Coke, I couldn’t have told you where I’d been if my life depended on it.

I do remember David, a fun guy in my group, having an incredible amount of energy that night that I truly envied, but other than that, the details of the crawl are fuzzy.

We all retreated back to our hotel in Ballsbridge for a late dinner and I remember getting funny looks for ordering a huge bowl of french fries—and nothing else. I was craving Irish potatoes and that was honestly all I wanted.

After the uncomfortable glances wore off, we all bonded talking about how awful we all felt Bono’s film Million Dollar Hotel turned out.

Then it was off to bed for more pre-concert adventures the next day.

Out and About in Dublin

I’d been enjoying a visit with my sister in Massachusetts in the days prior—she was a new mom and I was loving my first months as an auntie.

It was a joyous time in our family, but it soon turned dark when our beloved Grandmother Juanita passed away. Since I was en route to see U2 in Ireland, I wasn’t able to make it to Oregon for her service, and that was hard for me. But I was very close to her all of my life and had said a proper goodbye a few weeks prior. She knew I was going on the trip and I felt like she wouldn’t have wanted me to miss it.

I had traveled extensively throughout my college years, but I’d never been out of the country entirely alone, so this was new.

I left on a Boston flight coated with U2 fans and once we were in the air, our Aer Lingus staff told us that Bono’s father had just passed away.

A panic spread throughout the plane—the news was awful (and we selfishly worried that the band may cancel the historic concert at Slane Castle, which is what we were all flying there to see).

The Guinness flowed freely, we passed around The Irish Times and shared fan stories until we landed. Once we were inside the airport, the rumor was that “the show would go on.”

I met another girl, Becky, who was in my same organized U2 tour group (normally, I detest organized tours, but since I was 25, female and alone, I figured that I should join one), and we looked for our shuttle together.

Riding to Bewley’s in Ballsbridge I began to remember a city I’d visited only three years prior. I was anxious to get out and explore things that I hadn’t had the chance to do in ‘98, but when we arrived at the hotel, they said our rooms weren’t ready. They would release keys one by one as other guests checked out and the maids had a chance to clean.

I collapsed into a chair in the lobby and snacked on delicious honeycomb ice cream, which was for sale in the dining area.

A few hours later, we were checked in, but instead of listening to my body and sleeping as I should have, I set out with Becky to see the National Gallery and wander around St. Stephen’s Green.

The first photo I had her take of me was the one you see above—U2 posters gracing the front of a store.

Little did I know on every street in every part of the city I’d see the same.

But the trip had only just begun.